Varli Food Festival Is A Sold Out Success 2nd Year In A Row!

The second annual Varli Food Festival sells out yet again, welcoming over 2,000 guests at the Metropolitan Pavilion on April 5th in New York City! VARLI magazine hosted a gathering of the Masters of Indian Cuisine in the heart of Manhattan and featured over 60 fine Indian restaurants and 20 Award Winning Celebrity Chefs, from US, Canada, UK and India. Emmy nominated host Padma Lakshmi, entertained the guests on stage alongside Editor in Chief Varli Singh, Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna. Padma Lakshmi also did a food tasting in the exclusive VIP lounge at many celebrity chef stations, including Hemant Mathur, Maneet Chauhan, Hari Nayak, Vikram Vij and Vikas Khanna.

Festival attendees got a chance to try exotic foods such as Seared, wine marinated Kangaroo loin with fenugreek cream curry on celeriac puree and Butter Pepper Maine lobster with Himalayan Pink salt and micro cilantro and sipped on a Varlitini created exclusively by Chef Prasad Chirnomula for the festival. Guests got to take home an array of gifts including, a celebrity cook book, a FREE Gift Certificate Booklet ($500 value) and a bag of goodies from the Varli Spice Market. They also got to enjoy a Yelp Photo booth, participate in a silent auction and watch a live cooking demonstration by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. The 2nd Annual Varli Food Festival was proud to have Indian Star Basmati as a title sponsor and Sony Television as an exclusive Media partner.

VARLI Magazine introduced a brand new event on April 6th, titled Varli Cook Off. 8 aspiring chefs competed in a live cooking competition to win the prize of Varli Star Chef and other various prizes. Varli Cook Off was held at the Hilton in Melville, New York and had over 700 attendees cheered on the contestants. Esteemed Chefs Kunal Kapur, Prasad Chirnomula, and restaurateur Rajesh Bhardwaj, were joined by internationally acclaimed Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, as the official judges of the Varli Cook Off. Niru Kumria was a runner up, while New York based Saira Malhotra took home the grand prize. "It was humbling to compete with fellow cooks in the presence of some of the world's most renowned chefs. The platform Varli has provided chefs, restaurateurs and upcoming chefs is pivotal for the culinary scene" says Malhotra of her new fame as Varli Star Chef. TV Asia was a proud exclusive media partner and will be airing the competition as an 8 part series in the coming months.

VARLI Magazine Founder, Varli Singh says "We are very thankful for the support we receive from the chefs, restaurants and community each and every year. Our aim is to bring Indian cuisine to the forefront and we are proud to be making strides in reaching those goals"

Varli magazine partnered with the Food Bank For New York City for the second year and will be donating 100 percent of the net proceeds from the silent auction, 10 percent of proceeds from VIP ticket sales, plus a donation of $5000.00 personally from the Varli management.

THE VARLI BRAND: Varli's mission is to serve as the ultimate guide to Indian dining, and significantly raise awareness and appreciation for Indian cuisine around the world. The Varli Brand includes: VARLI MAGAZINE, the first publication dedicated to news and reviews on Indian cuisine, the Varli CARD, a card providing dining discounts and exclusive deals at participating Indian restaurants, and VARLI ONLINE, an interactive website with restaurant reviews, e-magazine, restaurant links and much more.

FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY: As one of the country's largest food banks, Food Bank For New York City's mission is to end hunger in New York City by organizing food, information and support for community survival and dignity. The city's major hunger-relief organization works to end food po